More males with HIV in Baguio than female sex workers

By Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY -- For the past 13 years, more men having sex with men  in this summer capital have gotten  infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than female sex workers and still progressing, according to a local health official. 

Assistant city health officer Dr. Celia Brillantes of the Baguio AIDS Watch Council (AWAC) said out of 88 HIV patients at the Regional Health and Wellness Center HIV treatment hub, 85 are males with 72 getting infected by having sex with other men.
    Of the 88 patients, she said, 68 are currently receiving treatment after undergoing free blood tests and chest x-rays. 

However, she said that a CD4 CT machine is needed to check their immunity levels  to complete the tests.

Brillantes warned HIV continues to be a serious health threat in the country with a record high of 32 infections reported daily or a total of 85,651 since January of 1984.

She said that AWAC established a new online HIV approach to expand its outreach to new and old patients.

Also, a new law on AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Republic Act 11166 or Philippine AIDS and HIV Policy Act was passed in December 2018 or 20 years after the  country’s first AIDS/ HIV law, she said.

The World Health Organization (WHO) welcomes the new law as it helps elevate attention to HIV/ AIDS  and address some of the critical bottlenecks in the program, Brillantes said.

She hopes to work closely with councilor Joel Alangsab, city council health committee chair, to localize RA 11166 into an ordinance and institutionalize best practices on HIV/AIDS in the city.

Mayor Benjamin Magalong, city health officer Dr. Rowena Galpo and Alangsab led other officials and guests  in a candle lighting ceremony during the flag-raising rites  in support of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial with the theme, “We Remember, We take Action, We live beyond HIV”.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, AIDS   is a chronic, potentially life-threatening condition caused by HIV. By damaging your immune system, HIV interferes with your body's ability to fight infection and disease.  HIV is a sexually transmitted infection and can also be spread by contact with infected blood or from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth or breast-feeding.